Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has undertaken a series of changes aimed at reshaping the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks.

Over the weekend, the president announced in a Truth Social post that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year renovation.

He said the decision followed a yearlong review involving contractors, arts experts and other advisers. He added that the temporary closure would allow the renovations to be completed faster and at a higher quality than if construction were carried out while performances continued. It was not immediately clear what renovations were planned, how much it would cost and what would happen to the scheduled performances.

The Trump Kennedy Center renovations are the latest in a series of design projects the former real estate developer has pursued since returning to the White House. Read on to learn more about how the world’s most famous real estate developer is leaving his mark on Washington.

‘Arc de Trump’

In October, Trump unveiled a new monument dubbed the ‘Arc de Trump,’ which is planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

At a White House ballroom fundraising dinner, Trump shared additional details about the newest monument planned for the nation’s capital. He said he was presented with three arch models in varying sizes — small, medium and large — and said his preference was for the largest one. 

If Trump chooses the largest proposed design, the arch would rise 250 feet, eclipsing the height of the Lincoln Memorial and rivaling the U.S. Capitol dome.

The monument, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, is meant to welcome visitors crossing the Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

The opulent Oval Office

Trump’s taste for opulence is unmistakable in the Oval Office, where golden accents now decorate the nation’s most iconic workspace, a reflection of his personal style. Last March, Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham during a tour of the Oval Office that the room ‘needed a little life’ when asked about the gold details.

‘Throughout the years, people have tried to come up with a gold paint that would look like gold, and they’ve never been able to do it,’ Trump told Ingraham. ‘You’ve never been able to match gold with gold paint, that’s why it’s gold,’ Trump added.

Since then, Trump has added gold accents throughout the Oval Office to include decorative details along the ceiling and around the doorway trim. Even the cherubs inside the door frames were given a gilded makeover.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle previously told Fox News Digital that the gold Trump added to the Oval Office ‘is of the highest quality,’ declining to provide further details. 

The spokesperson also said that Trump personally covered the cost of the gold accents, though they did not specify how much gold was added or how much Trump spent.

The White House ‘walk of fame’

Outside the Oval Office, the Trump administration unveiled the ‘Presidential Walk of Fame,’ a series of portraits of past presidents now displayed along the West Wing colonnade. The portrait of former President Joe Biden features his signature, created with an autopen, a machine that holds a pen and reproduces a person’s handwriting through programmed movements.

The Trump administration has also installed several large mirrors in gold frames along the walkway.

The luxe Lincoln bathroom

Trump said he renovated the Lincoln bathroom in the White House because it did not reflect the style of President Abraham Lincoln’s era. 

‘I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House. It was renovated in the 1940s in an Art Deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,’ Trump wrote in an Oct. 31 Truth Social post.

‘I did it in black and white polished statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and in fact could be the marble that was originally there,’ he added. 

No immediate details were available on the cost of the bathroom renovation.

A ballroom fit for the White House

Among the largest projects currently underway is a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom designed to accommodate roughly 650 seated guests. 

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of the sprawling ballroom. ‘The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,’ Leavitt said during a press briefing, adding the new ballroom will be ‘a much-needed and exquisite addition.’

The White House does not have a formal ballroom, and the new ballroom will take the place of the East Wing. Construction has already begun on the White House grounds, and the estimated cost is north of $200 million and will be financed by Trump and private donors.

Towering American flags on the White House lawn

Ahead of Independence Day, Trump also personally financed the installation of two 88-foot flagpoles with American flags in front of and behind the White House, each reportedly costing around $50,000. The new flags on the North and South Lawns were raised at a June 18 ceremony.

A paved Rose Garden lawn

Elsewhere on the White House grounds, Trump directed the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events.

Framed by magnolia and crabapple trees, the Rose Garden has hosted everything from diplomatic welcomes to first lady initiatives.

The White House declined to say what additional renovation projects were in the works.

Rapper Nicki Minaj voiced support for voter ID laws in a Sunday post on X, questioning why the issue remains a subject of debate in the United States.

‘What sensible forward thinking cutting edge leading nation is having a DEBATE on whether or not there should be VOTER ID?!?!!!! Like?!?!? They’re actually fighting NOT to have ppl present ID while voting for your leaders!!!!!’ she wrote. ‘Do you get it?!?!!!! Do you get it now?!?!!!’ 

Minaj’s comments quickly drew attention online, with some supporters praising her stance as common sense, while others argued that voter ID requirements already exist in various forms across the country.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., responded to the post, writing, ‘Ty.’

Luna has been a vocal proponent for passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE Act.

The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. 

Under the bill, states would be barred from accepting or processing voter registration applications unless applicants present approved documentation showing they are U.S. citizens.

On Thursday, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a revised version of the legislation, known as the SAVE America Act.

The updated bill would expand the original proposal by adding a nationwide voter ID requirement for federal elections, requiring voters to present an eligible photo identification document when casting a ballot.

The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan policy institute based in New York City, has sharply criticized the SAVE Act, arguing in a 2025 analysis that the legislation could disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible American voters.

The group said the bill’s requirement that voters present citizenship documents like a passport or birth certificate when registering or re-registering to vote would disrupt widely used registration methods and disproportionately affect voters who lack ready access to those documents.

A Russian cargo plane typically used to transfer military equipment landed at a military airfield in Havana Sunday night, echoing flight patterns seen ahead of the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76, operated by Russian state-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked landing at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military installation roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight data.

Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.

The same aircraft conducted flights to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in late October 2025, as tensions between Washington and Caracas escalated. That movement preceded U.S. military action in Venezuela that ultimately ended Maduro’s rule — a sequence U.S. officials and analysts have since pointed to as a warning indicator when evaluating similar Russian aviation activity in the region.

Now, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel finds himself under mounting pressure from President Donald Trump, who has sharply intensified U.S. policy toward Havana in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Trump declared a national emergency related to Cuba, asserting that the Cuban government poses an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The administration also said it would impose penalties on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba without U.S. authorization.

Trump confirmed Sunday that the U.S. is engaged in direct talks with Cuban officials.

‘Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn’t have Venezuela to prop it up,’ Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Florida. ‘So we’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.’

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both have indicated support for political change in Havana, though the administration has not said whether it would pursue that objective through military action.

Russian military ties to Cuba have repeatedly triggered concern in Washington. While the Soviet Union’s footprint on the island receded after the Cold War, Moscow has steadily rebuilt defense and intelligence cooperation with Havana over the past decade. U.S. officials have warned that renewed Russian activity in Cuba could pose security risks close to the U.S. mainland.

The Il-76 is a heavy transport aircraft capable of carrying roughly 50 tons of cargo or up to 200 personnel, a capability that has drawn scrutiny given the operator’s history. Aviacon Zitotrans has been sanctioned by the United States, Canada and Ukraine for supporting Russia’s defense sector.

‘Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world,’ the U.S. Treasury Department said in January 2023, when it added the airline to its sanctions list.

It remains unclear what cargo the aircraft carried on its most recent flight. During earlier operations in Venezuela, Russian state media and a Russian lawmaker said the same aircraft delivered Pantsir-S1 short-range and Buk-M2E medium-range air defense systems to Caracas. 

A new report from a Senate Republican showed that in the last year, the federal government wasted millions on transgender animal tests, lab testing beagles in China and aborted fetal tissue research. 

In his 9th annual edition of ‘Federal Fumbles,’ Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., found several instances of waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government, and he laid out a game plan to address some of the shortcomings of the past year. 

Lankford noted that after the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, the Republican-controlled Congress was able to improve efficiency, save billions in taxpayer dollars and redefine spending in Washington, D.C. 

‘However, the work is far from over,’ Lankford wrote in the report.

‘Too often, the federal government is gridlocked, unresponsive and inefficient,’ he continued. ‘We must continue pushing through bureaucratic red tape to make the government work better for you, the taxpayer. We have so much still to do.’

Some of the more egregious examples of federal waste laid out in the report included a handful of grant programs from the National Institute of Health (NIH) held over from the Biden administration.

Among those were a roughly $240 million study on transgender ‘animal experiments involving mice, rats and monkeys.’ That grant program was eventually terminated by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

‘These NIH-funded studies attempted to model transgender adults and children by subjecting animals to hormone regimens and surgical procedures,’ Lankford wrote. 

In 2024, the Biden-led NIH funded $53 million worth of grants that allowed for ‘research using human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions.’ And last year it was found that 17 of those grants were still active. 

Lankford noted that the NIH canceled the grants when the money flow became public after watchdog the White Coat Waste Project found that the agency was still funding them, and that the Trump administration went a step further to cancel all research involving aborted fetal tissue. 

Still, Lankford argued that unless Congress passed a law regarding the issue, ‘another pro-abortion Administration could resume or expand such projects at any time, forcing taxpayers to fund research that is both immoral and scientifically obsolete.’

Though the sums were not as eye-popping, Lankford also found that $124,000 in taxpayer money was sent to China to conduct drug research and experiments on ‘up to 300 beagles per week.’ 

Lankford said NIH announced it would not renew the contract after national scrutiny, but that there are still ’18 Chinese animal research laboratories, including several with troubling ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army, [that] still hold NIH approval to receive U.S. funding.’

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on whether to refer former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote, is slated to consider a pair of contempt of Congress resolutions targeting the Clintons at 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

Those resolutions are expected to pass through the committee along party lines, teeing them up for final passage as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

Both Clintons were subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify for Congress’ probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

Despite months of back-and-forth between the former first couple’s lawyers and Oversight staff, they never appeared on terms dictated by Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., pushing him to initiate contempt proceedings.

‘This shows that no one is above the law,’ Comer told reporters after his panel advanced the resolutions last month. ‘I’m just real proud of the committee and look forward to hopefully getting the Epstein documents in very quickly and trying to get answers for the American people.’

The committee voted along bipartisan lines to move forward with contempt resolutions against the Clintons. Nine Democrats joined the Republicans to advance the resolution against Bill Clinton, while three voted to advance Hillary Clinton’s.

The majority of Democrats, however, have accused Comer of partisan motivations behind his Clinton contempt efforts.

The Clintons were two of 10 people subpoenaed by Comer as part of the panel’s investigation into Epstein. The subpoenas were issued following a bipartisan vote by an Oversight subcommittee panel during an unrelated hearing on illegal immigration.

Democrats on the committee have pointed out that Comer has not pushed to hold others who did not appear in contempt, nor has he made any threats against the DOJ for failing to produce all of its documents on Epstein by a deadline agreed to by Congress late last year. The department has produced a fraction of the documents expected so far.

Comer has said he is in contact with the DOJ about its document production.

If the vote this week is successful, the House will have recommended both the Clintons for prosecution by the DOJ.

A contempt of Congress charge is a felony misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to a year in jail.

A Russian drone strike hit a bus carrying miners in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, killing at least 12 people.

Ukrainian emergency services later reported the death toll had risen to 15 in one of the deadliest single attacks on energy workers since the start of the war. 

The attack Sunday came a few hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia had been postponed.

A spokesperson for DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, which employed the workers, told Fox News Digital that drones had targeted the bus as it traveled ‘roughly 40 miles from the front line in central and eastern Ukraine.’

The DTEK spokesperson also described the incident as a ‘terrorist attack on civilian infrastructure.’

‘This strike was a targeted terrorist attack against civilians and another crime by Russia against critical infrastructure,’ the spokesperson added.

The bus was transporting miners after the end of their shift when it was hit by a Russian drone, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine also confirmed.

At least seven workers were injured, and a fire sparked by the impact was later extinguished by emergency crews.

‘The epicenter of one of the attacks was a company bus transporting miners from the enterprise after a shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region,’ the company also said in a statement.

Zelenskyy condemned the strike late Sunday, calling it another deliberate attack on civilians.

Earlier in the day, he announced that the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. would now take place Feb. 4-5 in Abu Dhabi, after originally being expected for Sunday.

‘Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,’ Zelenskyy said on X, adding that the delay had been agreed to by all sides.

The delay followed a surprise meeting Saturday in Florida between Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.

The talks in Abu Dhabi are now expected to include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S., according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy warned Russia is stepping up its aerial campaign against civilian and logistical targets. 

‘Over the past week, Russia has used more than 980 attack drones, nearly 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles against Ukraine,’ he wrote on X on Sunday. ‘We are recording Russian attempts to destroy logistics and connectivity between cities and communities.’

In a statement, DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko also explained the bus attack marked the company’s ‘single largest loss [of] life of DTEK employees since Russia’s full-scale invasion.’

‘We can already say with certainty that this was an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target, for which there can be no justification,’ Timchenko said.

The attack marked ‘one of the darkest days in our history,’ he added. ‘DTEK teams are working with emergency services on the ground in Dnipropetrovsk region to ensure the injured, and families who have lost loved ones, get all the care and support they need. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,’ he added.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year period to undergo renovations.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the complex will close on July 4, coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary, at which point construction will begin on what he described as a ‘new and spectacular entertainment complex.’

Trump said the decision followed a yearlong review involving contractors, arts experts and other advisers. He added that the temporary closure would allow the renovations to be completed faster and at a higher quality than if construction were carried out while performances continued.

Trump said the approach would be ‘the fastest way’ to elevate the center, adding that the planned grand reopening would surpass previous versions of the venue.

The Trump Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Trump said the funds to carry out the renovation were already in place, though he did not provide an estimated cost or explain whether the project would be financed through federal funding, private contributions, or a combination of both.

The Trump Kennedy Center hosts hundreds of performances each year and is home to several resident companies. It was not immediately clear whether those events would be postponed or moved to other venues.

Since his return to office, Trump has undertaken a series of changes aimed at reshaping the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks.

In October, Trump unveiled a new monument dubbed the ‘Arc de Trump,’ which is planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

He has previously said that the large arch, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, will welcome visitors crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump’s taste for opulence is evident in the Oval Office, where gold accents now line the ceiling and doorway trim, reflecting his personal style.

Beyond the Oval Office, the administration has unveiled the ‘Presidential Walk of Fame,’ a series of portraits of past presidents displayed along the West Wing colonnade.

Among the largest projects underway is a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom designed to accommodate roughly 650 seated guests. 

The administration has said the sprawling ballroom will adhere to the classical architectural style of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against author Michael Wolff and the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, insisting a newly released trove of Epstein-related files clears him of wrongdoing.

Trump was aboard Air Force One during a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday when he responded to a reporter’s question about the more than 3 million Epstein-related records and personal emails that the Justice Department released Friday.

‘It looked like this guy, Wolff, was a writer, was conspiring with Epstein to do harm to me,’ Trump said. ‘I didn’t see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it’s the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left, that Wolff, who’s a third-rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me, politically or otherwise, and that came through loud and clear.’

Trump said there was a high likelihood that he would sue Wolff and the Epstein estate ‘because he was conspiring with Wolff to do harm to me politically. That’s not a friend.’

In one March 2016 email between Epstein and Wolff that Fox News Digital reviewed, Wolff is encouraging Epstein to come up with an ‘immediate counter narrative’ to James Patterson’s book about him, ‘Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy.’

‘You do need an immediate counter narrative to the book,’ Wolff writes. ‘I believe Trump offers an ideal opportunity. It’s a chance to make the story about something other than you, while, at the same time, letting you frame your own story.’

‘Also, becoming anti-Trump gives you a certain political cover which you decidedly don’t have now,’ Wolff continues.

In a February 2016 email previously released, Wolff had suggested to Epstein that the disgraced financier is the ‘bullet’ that could end Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Regarding the latest Epstein document dump, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News Digital on Friday that ‘in none of these communications, even when doing his best to disparage President Trump, did Epstein suggest President Trump had done anything criminal or had any inappropriate contact with any of his victims.’

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

A pair of Senate Republicans are pushing their House counterparts to reject the Trump-backed shutdown deal unless it includes Homeland Security funding and election integrity legislation. 

Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are calling on House Republicans to push back against the Senate-passed funding package, which includes bills to fund five agencies, including the Pentagon, as a partial government shutdown continues. 

They contended that the package needs to be retooled, and must include a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, which was stripped out after Senate Democrats threatened to blow up the government funding process. 

Doing so could extend what was expected to be a short-term shutdown.

Scott said congressional Democrats would ‘NEVER fund DHS’ and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He voted against the package twice, arguing that the spending levels would further bloat the nation’s eye-popping $38 trillion national debt, and that the billions in earmarks betrayed Republicans’ previous vows of fiscal restraint.

‘If House Republicans don’t put the DHS bill back in, add the SAVE America Act and remove the wasteful earmarks, Democrats win,’ Scott said. ‘We must protect our homeland, secure our elections and end the reckless spending NOW!’

Lee also rejected the package in the Senate because of earmarks. He also agreed with Scott, and pushed for his SAVE America Act, which he introduced alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, to be included.

‘To my friends in the House GOP: Please put DHS funding back in, then add the SAVE America Act,’ Lee wrote on X. 

The updated version of the SAVE Act would require that people present photo identification before voting, states obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and remove noncitizens from voter rolls. 

But their demands run counter to the desire of President Donald Trump, who brokered a truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to strip the DHS bill following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during an immigration operation in Minneapolis in order to ram the funding package through the Senate.

And any changes to the deal, like including the SAVE America Act or adding the DHS bill, would send the package back to the Senate, where Schumer and his caucus would likely reject it. 

That would create a back-and-forth between the chambers that would further prolong what was meant to be a temporary shutdown.

Their demands also place House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a precarious position, given that several House Republicans want to extract concessions from congressional Democrats. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is already leading a charge to include the SAVE Act in the funding package. 

Johnson will have to shore up any resistance among his conference, given that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to the speaker that any attempt to fast-track the legislation on Monday, when the House returns, would fail.

Tax season already brings stress. In 2026, it brings added confusion. Changes to tax filing programs and the discontinuation of the free government-run filing system have left many taxpayers unsure about what is legitimate. That uncertainty has created an opening for scammers who move quickly when people hesitate. 

‘Every tax season we see scammers ramp up their activity, and with likely confusion now that the free government-run filing system is discontinued, we’re sure scammers will take advantage,’ said Lynette Owens, vice president of consumer marketing and education at Trend Micro.

In past years, scammers have leaned heavily on impersonation. Fake IRS emails promising refunds, text messages claiming accounts have been flagged under new rules and fraudulent tax help offers that promise faster returns continue to circulate, Owens said. As February begins, many taxpayers feel pressure to file quickly. That urgency creates the perfect conditions for fraud.

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Why scammers thrive when tax rules feel unclear

Uncertainty is one of the most effective tools scammers have. When taxpayers are unsure how filing rules work or whether a message is legitimate, criminals step in with communications designed to sound official and helpful. The goal is not clarity. It is speed.

‘Scammers aim to create a heightened sense of anxiety among the people they are targeting,’ Owens said. ‘When taxpayers don’t feel confident about what’s real, whether it’s new filing options, eligibility rules or program updates, criminals step in with messages that sound official and helpful.’ They often pose as the IRS, a tax prep service, or even government support. Once trust is established, the message quickly turns transactional, asking for clicks, personal data or payments.

The most common IRS impersonation scams right now

While the delivery methods change, the core message rarely does. Something is wrong, and it must be fixed immediately. 

‘The most common tactic we’re seeing is fake refund or account alert messages that claim something is wrong and demand immediate action,’ Owens said. Other scams go a step further. Some direct victims to fake IRS login pages designed to steal credentials.

Others promote fraudulent tax assistance, presenting themselves as government-backed or low-cost help in order to collect personal and financial information. These scams arrive by email, text message, phone calls and fake websites. Many are polished enough to appear legitimate at first glance.

Why phrases like new rules and urgent issues work

Language plays a central role in tax scams. Phrases such as new rules or urgent account issues are designed to trigger panic before logic has a chance to catch up. They suggest the recipient has missed something important or risks losing money.

‘Those phrases work because they can trigger panic and urgency, and people are more likely to react emotionally than logically,’ Owens said. ‘New rules suggest you may have missed something important, and an urgent account issue creates fear of penalties, delays or losing a refund.’ 

The safest response is to pause. Do not click links, reply to messages or call phone numbers included in the alert. Instead, go directly to a trusted source like IRS.gov using your own browser.

A real tax scam message that looks legitimate

Many tax scams follow a familiar structure. A common example reads: ‘IRS Notice: Your tax refund is on hold due to a filing discrepancy under updated 2026 rules. Verify your identity now to avoid delays.’ 

At first glance, messages like this may appear credible. They often include official-looking logos, reference numbers and links that resemble real government pages.

‘It may include a convincing IRS-style logo, a case number and a link that looks legitimate at a glance,’ Owens said. ‘But the red flags are usually the same.’ The message pressures immediate action, directs users to non-government websites, and requests sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, bank details or login credentials.

What happens after someone falls for a tax scam?

The damage rarely ends with a single click. 

‘The most serious consequences are identity theft and financial loss,’ Owens said. ‘Once scammers have personal information, they can file fraudulent tax returns, steal refunds, open credit accounts and access bank funds.’

Victims often spend months working to recover lost money, repair credit damage and restore their identities.

How the IRS really communicates with taxpayers

Despite repeated warnings, many people still believe the IRS might email or text them. 

‘A legitimate tax service or the IRS won’t reach out unexpectedly by email, text or social media, and they won’t pressure you to act immediately,’ Owens said.

Scam messages often share the same warning signs. They sound urgent, include links or attachments and ask for sensitive information right away. If a message creates panic or demands fast action, that alone is reason to be skeptical. The IRS primarily communicates by official mail. Unexpected digital contact should always raise concern.

What to watch for next as scams evolve

Tax scams continue to grow more sophisticated each year. 

‘Taxpayers should watch for scams that feel more real than ever,’ Owens said. ‘That includes highly polished phishing emails, refund texts designed for quick mobile clicks, fake tax help ads and cloned websites that mimic real IRS or tax prep portals.’

The biggest mistake people still make is treating an unexpected tax message like an emergency. 

‘In tax season, speed is the scammer’s advantage,’ Owens said. ‘Taking 30 seconds to double-check the source can prevent months of financial and identity damage.’

What to do if you clicked or responded by mistake

If someone realizes too late that a message was fraudulent, fast action can limit the damage. 

‘First, stop engaging immediately,’ Owens said. ‘Don’t click links, download attachments or reply.’

Next, report the incident. Forward phishing emails to phishing@irs.gov and file a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

After that, monitor financial accounts closely, change passwords and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze if necessary.

To learn more about how to do this, go to Cyberguy.com and search ‘How to freeze your credit.’ 

Ways to stay safe during tax season

Scammers count on rushed decisions. The good news is that a few smart habits can dramatically lower your risk.

1) Slow down before responding to tax messages

Urgency is the scammer’s favorite tool. Messages that demand immediate action aim to short-circuit your judgment. 

‘Scammers rely on fear, urgency or false promises, especially during tax season,’ Owens said. ‘It’s important to slow down, verify information through official channels, and use trusted security tools.’ If a message pressures you to act fast, stop. Take a breath before doing anything else.

2) Verify filing changes through official IRS channels

Scam messages often reference new rules, updated policies or eligibility changes. That language sounds credible when filing programs shift. Always confirm changes by typing IRS.gov directly into your browser or signing in to your trusted tax provider account. Never rely on links or phone numbers included in a message.

3) Protect tax accounts with strong credentials

Tax portals hold valuable personal and financial data. Weak passwords make them easy targets. Use strong and unique passwords for every tax-related account. A password manager can help generate and store secure credentials without relying on memory.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see ) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com

4) Watch for pressure tactics and refund promises

Scammers know refunds motivate quick action. Messages claiming your refund is waiting, delayed or at risk often signal fraud. Be cautious of promises like faster refunds, guaranteed results or special access to government-backed assistance. Legitimate services do not operate that way.

5) Avoid links and secure your devices with strong antivirus software 

Clicking a single link can expose login credentials or install malware. Do not click on links in unexpected tax messages. Also, use strong antivirus software to help block malicious sites and detect threats before damage occurs.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

6) Reduce your digital footprint

Personal data fuels tax scams. The more information criminals can find online, the easier impersonation becomes. Using a data removal service can help limit exposed personal details across data broker sites. Less data means fewer opportunities for scammers to exploit your identity.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s key takeaways

Tax season pressure makes even cautious people vulnerable. In 2026, filing confusion adds fuel to the fire. Scammers know this and design messages to look official, urgent and helpful. Pausing, verifying and trusting official sources remains the strongest defense. When something feels rushed, it is usually for a reason.

Have you received a suspicious IRS message this tax season, and what made you question whether it was real? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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